Pioneers Return From Break to Host St. Lawrence at the MIP

Back at it..Sacred Heart returns to action following the 22-day holiday break by hosting the St. Lawrence Saints of the ECAC, a conference against which the Pioneers are 0-5 this season. The Pioneers are in search of their third win of the season after losing to UCONN 9-3 and Clarkson 9-2 three weekends ago at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

Game Coverage... Video for this evening's game will be available at www.SacredHeartPioneers.com by following the video links on the men's hockey schedule page. Randy Brochu and Kyle Tyll have the call.

About the Pioneers...Sophomore center Eric Delong leads the Pioneers with 12 points (4 g, 8 a) this season, a year removed from leading all Atlantic Hockey Association rookies with 35 points (10 g, 15 a) in the '09-'10 campaign. Senior captain Patrick Knowlton and junior winger Matt Gingera are tied for the team lead with five goals each. Senior forward David Berube (3-8-11) has been productive as well this season.

Scouting the Saints...St.Lawrence rolls into Milford coming off a 2-1 overtime win against #2 New Hampshire Sunday night, their first game since a 6-4 win over Vermont on 12/18. Aaron Bogosian scored the game-winner 29 seconds into OT. Kyle Flanagan (5-10-15) leads the team in points, while Greg Carey (9-3-12) is the team's leading goal scorer. Carey's five power play goals are tied for second most in the ECAC.

Last Time They Met...The Pioneers scored three times in the third period to earn a 3-3 tie at St. Lawrence in the only other game ever between the two programs last season on 10/31/09. Dave Jarmen, Eric Boisvert, and Paul Ferraro each scored for SHU in their come-from-behind effort.Steven Legatto made 31 saves in just his second career start in net. Jeremiah Cunningham scored the Saints' game-tying goal with 1:33 remaining in the third. Kyle Flanagan added a goal and an assist.

Special Teams Struggles... The Pioneers special teams have limped through the first two months of the season on both ends. Currently, Sacred Heart is dead last in Division I with a 67.6 penalty kill. The Pioneers live dangerously, as they have racked up the 2nd most penalty minutes (306) in the AHA. SHU's power play (11.5%) is tied for tenth in the conference. Patrick Knowlton's power play goal in the first period against UCONN on 12/10 is SHU's lone tally on the man-advantage during a 1-32 streak, dating back to the Yale game on 11/23.

Lots of Rubber at Legatto...Sophomore goalie Steven Legatto has made the most saves in the AHA (525), 58 more than Dan Morrison of Canisus, who is second with 467. He has faced at least 40 shots or more six times this year, and faced at least 50 shots on goal twice.

Up Next... The Pioneers host the Air Force Falcons in a rematch of last year's thrilling Atlantic Hockey Semi-Final 2-1 win for SHU on Patrick Knowlton's goal with 42 seconds remaining. SHU faces off with Air Force Friday, 1/7 at 7 p.m. at the MIP, and then again at the Arena at Harbor Yard Saturday, 1/8 at 4:30 p.m.